Pages

19 October 2016

With
his most recent book, Goodwin has more than surpassed himself in the
Morton Farrier, Forensic Genealogist, series. In fact, Spyglass
was so absorbing, so well-crafted ―
and I don't say that frequently about any crime book ― I'm
convinced it's an equally compelling read for a non-genealogist.
Morton's new client Barbara is an adoptee who tracked down her
now-deceased biological mother, Elsie, but wants to fill in the
missing war years around her birth. Our hero dives into an impressive
number of record sources with ease ―
some familiar, some esoteric, including many relating to the
Second World War. He's putting together pieces of Elsie's wartime
life but the larger picture eludes him.

Goodwin
uses cleverly paced flashbacks for Elsie to tell her own story that
never quite answers the consuming questions: who is Barbara's father
and what happened to him? Elsie's soldier husband Laurie is a
prisoner of war. She joins the WAAF to work in the Wireless Service
because of her German language skills ―
long days and nights listening to aircraft transmissions,
translating, reporting. The daily grind of service women and pilots,
the bombing raids, the contemporary clothing, habits, entertainment,
and real-life locales are meticulously brought alive. But it's much
more complicated than that.

Morton
would not be Morton if he were not attracting a sinister element.
Someone does not want him delving into Elsie's life. His mind is
partly occupied by his impending wedding to police officer Juliette
as he labours over the often strange or surprising documents he
uncovers. And he's painfully aware of his own unsolved
adoption secrets; sensitive information hidden by family members is
much harder to come by.

Readers
will seldom find a better or more challenging plot. Only one small
paragraph appeared corny to me (to use the 1940s vernacular),
out of place in the overall feeling. Just as his protagonist
did, the author undertook a huge amount of research preparation. In
particular, it was a fascinating treat to learn so much about special
WAAF contributions to the war effort.

My
apologies to the author for a delayed review; delighted to see
colleagues reviewing and fans being acquired. Please bring Morton and
Juliette back again!